Automatic discharging machine



Nov. 17, 1936. J. A. HUNTER ET Al.

AUTOMATIC DISCHARGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OGt. 7, 1932 mw. Nf l Mm H N\ .MY f

@@@Qwmwm NOV. 17, 1936. J, A HUNTER ET AL 2,061,358

AUTOMATIC DISCHARGING MACHINE Filed Oct. '7,` 1932 2 Sheets--Shee'cI 2lzveidors. JOHN H. HUA/TEE @ad HOM/QED K. [HE/G.

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC DISCHABGINGMACHINE of New Jersey Application October 7, 1932, Serial No. 636,742

2 Claims.

This invention relates to furnace discharging machines, one of theobjects being the mechanical removal of objects from the furnace andprei'- erably their automatic transfer to an adjacent table or conveyer.Other objects may be inferred from the following disclosure of anillustrative machine embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a top plan.

Figure 3 is a diagram of an electrical control.

This machine is arranged to remove sheet bars from the exit end of acontinuous furnace I and transfer them to a gravity roller conveyer-2.'I'his conveyer is assumed to supply pairs of sheet bars to a milllocated at its end. A vertically sliding door 3 closes the exit of thefurnace.

'Ihe machine includes a frame 4 in a pit 5 arranged between the furnaceand conveyer. This frame mounts substantially parallel levers 6. Thereare four of these levers interconnected by cross-bars 'l to form twoparallel pairs. They are linked together at their upper ends by members8 having upstanding ends 9- to which carrier arms I are bolted. The armsform a carrier for the sheet bars.

In each instance the lower ends of the levers i are mounted by links IIand I2 which are piv- Jted thereto at spaced points. 'I'he links I2depend directly from the frame 4, and the links II 1re mounted. onplates I3 bolted to the frame.

'I'he links I I are of equal lengths. The links I2 are properlyproportioned so that the carrier rms I0 follow a substantiallyelliptical path when reciprocated from the furnace to the conveyer.['hat is to say, the carrier arms have a lifting and '.ransverseoutgoing motion from the furnace vhich changes to a declining orcurvilinear low- :ring motion upon approaching the conveyer. Nhen in thefurnace the carrier arms lie in a :ubstantially horizontal plane, andwhen at the :onveyer they are slightly therebelow and sub- `tantiallyparallel therewith. The individual lollers forming this conveyer areshort enough so hat the carrier arms may straddle them and thus ssumethe secondly named position.

The above motions of the carrier arms are ac- :omplished by making theleft-hand links I2 lightly longer than the right-hand links and the inksIl of equal lengths. The positions are acomplished by mounting theright-hand links I2 lightly above the left-hand links I2 as well as heright and left-hand links Il. This linking ystem may be varied so thatthe proportions of be lifting and lowering movements with respect to thetransferring movement may be changed to meet the requirements oi thesize of the furnace's exit and the relative positions of the furnace andconveyer.

A motor Il drives a crank I5 through a gear 5 reduction unit I6. Thiscrank I5 is connected to the left-hand levers 6 at their point ofconnection with the links I2 by a connecting-rod I1. This reciprocatesthe carrier arms through their respective motions and to the variouspositions pre- 10 scribed by their mounting lever or linkage system. Aspring I8 may be fixed-to the end of one of the links II for the purposeof partially counterbalancing the weight of the arms III and the carrierload.

The operation of the machine as so far described is so obvious as toneed little comment. The lifting motion of the carrier arms I0 is ratherslight when compared to their transferring motion. They approach theconveyer with a declining or curvilinear motion which not only depositsthe sheet bars thereon but gives them a slight forward motion whichstarts them down the conveyer. This is important when it is consideredit is possible for one of the conveyers rollers to become stuck andprevent proper carriage of bars merely laid thereon.

The motions of the carrier are throughout a gentle removal of the workfrom its position in the furnace which blends into a deposit on theconveyer with a slight forward urge.

In a continuous furnace of the type to which the machine is applied theWork is carried by conveyer blades I9 driven by a motor 20 and connectedfor operation immediately upon the opening of the door 3. This motor andits mechanical connections are not shown except as indicated on thewiring diagram.

Inasmuch as it is very desirable to furtherA this automatic operation,the invention also embodies an electrical control for the motor I4designed for this purpose.

A control suitable for providing the roller of the mill served by theconveyer 2 with a means for effecting a completely automatic dischargeand delivery of the sheet bars as needed is illustrated by the diagram.This diagram does not include the motor operating the door, but it is tobe understood that it may be interconnected to open at the proper timein the usual manner.

In this control the motor I4 is connected to a power line 2| through anelectromagnetic switch 22. vThe motor 20 is connected to the linethrough an electromagnetic switch 23. 'Ihe electromagnetic switch 22 isenergized by a foot 55 treadle switch 24. This switch 22 includes aholding contact 22,'L which maintains the circuit closed upon releasalof the foot treadle switch. Energization of the motor Il is thusmaintained until the carrier reaches its opposite reciprocation extremewhen it is broken by a limit switch 25.

The sheet bars having now been deposited on the conveyor 2 will rollthereover and trip a switch 26. This reenergizes the electromagneticswitch 22 and causes the lever system to reciprocate to its otherextreme when it operates a limit switch 21 which breaks its circuit andallows its holding contact 22a to open.

When the switch 21 opens another limit switch 28 is simultaneouslyclosed. This energizes the electromagnetic switch 23 and starts themotor 20 which drives the conveyor blades I9. This switch also includesa holding contact 2lia which maintains its circuit when once energized.The motor 20 continues to operate until the conveyor blades move a sheetbar into contact with a trigger switch 29 in the furnace which breaksthe circuit to the electromagnetic switch 23 and stops the motor. Afpairof sheet bars will now be over the carrier arms I0 ready for removalwhen the roller again operates the foot treadle switch 24. Although notshown, the trigger switch 29 may be provided with a solenoid which isenergized simultaneously with the first energization of the motor I4,whereby it is drawn out of the way to permit removal of the sheet bars.

Preferably emergency stop push buttons 30 and 3l are arranged to breakthe circuits to the electromagnetic switches22 and 23. 'I'his willprovide an immediate control in case of accidents. A starting pushbutton 32 which energizes the electromagnetic switch 23 is alsopreferably provided so that the sheet bar moving motor 20 may becontrolled in such .an emergency.

Although a specific form of this invention has been shown and describedin accordance with the patent statutes, it is not intended to limit itsscope exactly thereto, except as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a'furnace and an adjacent conveyer, a machineincluding a carrier. means for mounting said carrier for reciprocationfrom a work receiving point in said furnace to a work depositing pointat said conveyer, a motor for reciprocating said means, and manuallyoperated means for starting said motor when said carrier is at saidreceiving point, means operable by the reciprocation-of said carrier tosaid depositing point for stopping said motor, means operable by thepassage of work over said conveyer for starting said motor and meansoperable by the reciprocation of said carrier to said receiving pointfor stopping said motor.

2. In combination with a continuous furnace having a work moving motorand an adjacent conveyer, a machine including a carrier, means formounting said carrier for reciprocation from a work receiving point insaid furnace to a work depositing point at said conveyer, a motor forreciprocating said means, and manually operable means for starting saidreciprocating motor when said carrier is at said receiving point, meansoperable by the reciprocation ci said carrier to said depositing pointfor stopping said reciprocating motor, means operable by the passage oi'work over said conveyer for starting said reciprocating motor, meansoperable by the reciprocation of said carrier to said receiving pointfor stopping said reciprocating motor and starting said furnaces Workmoving motor, and means operable by the movement of work in said furnacefor stopping said work moving motor.

JOHN A. HUNTER. HOWARD K. IHRIG.

